of chicago



May 29, 1928. 1,671,146

T.F.CROCKER HOWLER CIRCUITS Filed OCt\ 1923 IrzLrEnZUr Than-155 F .EIUEkE'I Patented May 29, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS F. CROCKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC INC, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS,

WARE.

A CORPORATION 01 DELA- I-IOWLER CIRCUITS.

Application filed October 3, 1923. Serial No. 666,225.

This invention relates in general to howler circuits for use in wire chiefs testing systems; and its. object, briefly stat-ed,'is the provision of a graduated howler circuit whereby a graduated howler tone can. be projected out on a line for attracting the attention of a subscriber who has failed to restore the receiver to the switchhook.

To accomplish the foregoing and other useful ends this invention comprises means which will be fully described in the specification which is to follow, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which shows diagrammatically the apparatus and circuits involved.

The apparatus to the right of the vertical dot and dash line indicated as T D is located in a test desk while that to the left indicated as G H is assembled preferably as a unit and mounted in any suitable place in the exchange. The former consists essentially of howler key K and supervisory lamp L; while the latter consists essentially of rotary switch C, repeating coil R and interrupter I.

The rotary switch C is mechanically of the well known rotary line switch type of which the wipers move in a forward direction only, modified however, so that the wipers have a normal position. One set of wipers in rotating pass over groups of con tacts which are grounded by way of resistances, the latter being in series to control the How of current and thus produce the graduated tone, which has its minimum intensity at normal position. The other set of wipers in rotating pass over contacts that. are grounded when the subscriber restores the receiver to the switchhook or when the howler key K .is released, thus causing the switch to return to normal position.

Having briefly explained the purpose of the invention and the apparatus involved in carrying it out, the operation of the equip ment may now be explained more in detail. For this purpose it will be assumed that the conductors and 46 extend to a wire chiefs test circuit such as is shown, for example, in the patent to Benson, No. 1,481,586, issued Jan. 22, 1924, and that the test circuit is connected to a telephone line on which the subscriber has failed to restore'the receiver to the switchhook.

The wire'ehief now operates the bowler key K closing a circuit as follows: from ground by way of the upper right hand winding of repeating coil R, spring 41and its working contact, conductor 45, direct current bridge at the substation (not shown), conductor 46, working contact of spring, 42 and said spring. lower right-hand winding of repeating coil Pt, relay 3, resting contact of armature 15 and said armature,to grounded battery. Relay 3, upon energizing, closes a circuit at armature 12 for buzzer2 by way of resting contact at armature 11 and said armature; closes'the primary circuit an armature 13; and prepares a circuit at armature 1.4 for ground interrupter I and rotary magnet 5. Buzzer 2 vibrates its armatures and rapidly interrupts the primary circuit at armature 10, which circuit may be traced as follows :-from ground, resistances 29-24, inclusive, grouped bank contacts 30, wiper 33, armature 13 and its working contact, armature 10 and its resting contact, upper left-hand winding of repeatingcoil R, and lower left-hand winding of repeating coil R to grounded battery. The non-inductive'coils 6 and 7 are used at armatures 10 and 11, respectively, to prevent excessive sparking at their contacts.

Rotary magnet 5 is caused to energize and denergize from interrupted ground I, which is preferably one half second make and one half second break, and rotates wipers 22, 23, 33 and 34 of the rotary switch C step by step in a clockwise directionby means of armature 19, ratchet 20 and ratchet wheel 21. The wiper contacts are constructed large enough to make before break in rotating over the bank contacts. Wiper 33, in rotating over grouped bank contacts 30, does not alter the primary circuit, but when it reaches grouped contacts 31, the resistance 24 is cut out, thus allowing an increase in the current flow. This performance continues. successively cutting out resistances 25-28, inclusive, until a current of maximum intensity is reached with wiper 33 rotating over grouped contacts 32. When wiper 33 1'0- tates off the last contact in group 32 its opposite wiper 34 rotates on the first contact in group 30, thus changing the'current from maximum to minimum intensity and permit ting'a continuous performance, the wipers preferably making a complete rotation once every tweatyfi've seconds caused to How in the left-hand or primary windings of the repeating coil R, whereupon. high :trequenc alternating current varying l1] intensity is induced in the 1lgl1thand or secondarywindings oil the repeating coil and transmitted over the conductor 45 and 46 by Way of howlerlrey K, though the receiver at the subscribers station (not shown), Where the subscriber is notified by the characteristic tone or howl? in his receiver, which is audible at some distance therefrom, that he has forgotten to hang it up.

When the subscriber l'iang's up the receiver and bridges the bell and condenser (not shown) across the conductors +15 and 46, direct current ceases to :tlovv over the circuit including relay 3. Vile/lay 3, upon deenergizing, opens at armature 153 the circuit of buzzer 2, closes the ircuit ot supervisory lamp Lby Way otspring 44 and its Working contact, thereby notifying the ivire chief that the receiver has been restored, and places ground on 'wi iicrs and A23 oi' rotary switch C; opens the primary circuit at armature13; and opens at armature l tthc circuit of the rotary magnet 5, thus stopping it from energizing and deenergizing tl'rom interrupted ground at I and in turn stopping the rotation oi the wipers otrotary switch C. lVipersfZQ and 23 being in normal position as shown, or reversed. when ground is placed thereon, nothing happens, but if they are in other than the normal position a circuit is closed for relayer. Relay 4, upon energizing, closes at armature 17 a locking circuit for itself by Way ot spring 1-3 and its Working contact at bowler key K; closes at armature 1b a circuit for rotary magnet 5, by Way of armature l8 and its resting contact, bank contacts of other than normal position. Wiper or as the case may be, resting contact of grounded armature 12 and said armature, which causes magnet 5 to act in a buzzer-like manner to rotate the Wipers of switch C around to normal position; and opens at armature 15 the present inoperative circuit including relay 3 and the subscribers loop to prevent the subscriber from again connecting up the howler circuit before the rotary switch C has returned to normal position and the Wire chief has released the connection at key K. When the Wipers and reach normal position the circuit oi? the 'otary magnet 5 is opened,thus stopping its buszer like action and in turn stopping the rotation of the Wipers of rotary switch C.

Vhen the Wire chief releases the bowler key K the conductors 415 and 46 are disconnected at springs ll and 4-2, respectively, from the howler circuit the circuit 01" supervisory lamp L and the locking circuit of re lay 4 are opened. at springs 4 and 4-3, respectively, the lamp being extinguished and the relay being deenergized. Relay 4, upon deencrgizing, prepares at armature 15 the circuit of relay 3; further opens at armature 16 the circuit out rotary magnet 5; and further opens at armature 17 the circuit of relay i. All apparatus now being restored to normal the howler circuit is available for use over again.

In case the subscriber tails to restore the receiver to the switchhoolr a: a reasonable application oil. the hoWler tone the Wire chieit releases the howler key K, thereby discon- .uectiire the conductors to and L6 at springs 41 and 42, respectively, from the howler circuit. Relay 3 now deenergizes and opens the circuit of buzzer 2, places ground on ipers 22 and 23, opens the bowler circuit, and opens the circuit of the rotary magnet 5, as described hereinbejlore. If wipers 22 and 23 are not in normal. position as shown, or reversed, relay 4 energizes and closes a circuit for rotary magnet 5, which acts to ro tate the Wipers of switch C to normal position, after Which relay 1 falls back and opens the magnet circuit, as also described hereinbe't'ore.

The principal advantages in a graduated bowler circuit similar to theforegoing lie in the facts that, after the hoWler key operated to connect the howler equignnent with a line Which has a receiver oil the switch hook, the tone is produced continuously until the receiver is restored or the howlcr key is released; that the tone cannot be placedaon the line except at its minimum intensity; and that the toneis instantly and permanently removed from the line when the receiver is restored and a supervisory lamp lighted at the test desk to notiity the Wire chief of the restoration.

Having described my invention, What I consider to be new and desired. to have protected by Letters Patent Will be pointed out in the appended claims.

That I claim is: a 1. In .a telephone testing system, a trunk line, a bowler circuit including a source oi": current means for extending saidjtrunk line into connection with a subscribei"s line having a receiver oil the hook, means for connecting said hoWler circuit to said trunk line, a relay interrupter having contacts included in said howler circuit, and means automatically responsive to the establishment of said last connection for operating said relay interrupter for generating and for projecting out over said subscribers line a tone of varying intensity.

In a telephone testing system, a trunk line, a graduated hovvler circuit including-a source of current, means for extending said trunk line into connection with a. subscribers line having a receiver ofi the hook, means free are

v circuit to said trunk line,

line, a graduated howler for connecting said graduated howler cir cuit to said trunk line, a' relayinterrupter having contacts included in said howler circuit, means automatically responsive to the establishment of said last connection for operating said relay interrupter for generating and for projecting out over said subscribers line a tone of graduated intensities, and means whereby said tone is stopped upon the restoration of the receiver to the hook. i

3. In a telephone testing system, a trunk circuit including a source of current, means for extending said trunk line into connection with a subscribers line having a receiver off the hook, means for connecting said graduated howler circuit to said trunk line, a relay interrupter having contacts included in said howler circuit, means automatically responsive to the establishment of said last connection for operate ing said relay interrupter for generating and for projecting out over said subscribers line a tone of graduated intensities, means whereby said tone is stopped upon the restoration of the receiver to the hook, and means whereby a supervisory lamp is lighted to notify the tester that said receiver has been restored.

4. In a telephone testing system, a trunk line, a graduated howler circuit including a source of current, means for extending said trunk line into connection with a subscribers line having a receiver off the hook, means for connecting said graduated howler circuit to said trunk line, a relay interrupter having contacts includedin said howler circuit, means automatically responsive to the establishment of said last connection for operating said. relay ing and for projecting out over said subscribers line a tone of graduated intensities, means whereby said tone is stopped upon the restoration of the receiver to the hook, and means for preventing the reapplication of the tone if the receiver is again removed.

5. In a telephone testing system, a trunk line, a graduated howler circuit including a source of current, means for extending said trunk line into connection with a subscribers line having a receiver 01? the hook, means for connecting said graduated howler a relay interrupter having contacts included in said howler cir cuit, means automatically, responsive to the establishment of said last connection for operating said relay interrupter for generating and for projecting out over said subscribers line a tone which varies in intensity, and means whereby the tone of minimum intensity only can be projected out when connection .is established with said subscribers line.

6. In a signaling system, a trunk line, a howler switch, a howler key for associating mum intensity of said key for returning said interrupter for generatv said switch with said trunk line, said trunk line being connected with a telephone line having a receiver off the hook, means whereby said switch signals the subscriber with a howl in said receiver that starts at mimimum intensity and increases to a maximum intensity, and means whereby said switch operates automatically and continuously until'the recelver is restored to the hook or'the howler key is released.

7. In a signaling system, a trunk line, a howler switch, a howler key for associating said switch with said trunk line, said trunk line being connected with a telephone line having a receiver on the hook, means whereby said switch signals the subscriber with a howl in said receiver that starts at miniand increases to amaximum intensity, means whereby said switch operates continuously until the receiver is restored to the hook or the howler key is released, and automatic means responsive to the restoring of said receiver or the releasing switch to starting position.

8. In a signaling system, a trunk line, a step by step howler switch, a howler key for associating said switch with said trunk line,

said trunk line being connected with a teleoff the hook,

phone line having a receiver means whereby said switch signals the subscriber with a howl in said receiver that starts at minimum intensity and increases step by step to a maximum intensity, and

means whereby said switch operates step by step continuously until the receiver is re stored to the hook or the howler key is released. I v

i 9. In a signaling system, a trunk line, a step by step howler switch having a normal resting position, a howler key for associating said switch with said trunk'line, said trunk line being connected with a telephone line having a receiver oii the hook, means where by said switch signals the subscriber with a howl in said receiver that starts from said normal position at minimum intensity and in creases step by step to a maximum intensity, means wherebyv said switch operates step' by step continuously until the receiver is re stored to the hook or the howler key is released, and means responsiveto the restoring of said receiver or the releasing of said key for returning said switch step by step to said ,nor nalposition. v

10; In a telephone testing system, a: trunk line, a howler switch associated with said means for extending said trunk trunk line, line into connection with a subscribers line having a receiver o'li' the hook, a howler circuit includ ng a source of current, a relay interrupter having contacts included in said:

howler circuit, and means operative responsive 'to said last means for automatically starting and operating said switch and said relay interrupter to interrupt said howler circuit to generate and project out over said subscribefis line a tone varying intensity.

11. In a telephone testing system, a trunk line, a howler switch associated with said trunk line, said switch having only two wipers, means for extending said trunk line into connection with a subscribers line having a receiver oii the hook, means operative responsive to saidlast means for automatically starting and operating the wipers of said switch, means including a relay interrupter and one oi said wipers for generating and projecting out over said subseribers line a tone of varying intensity, and means including the other oi? said wipers for automatically stopping said switchresponsive to the restorationof the receiver to the hook.

12. In a telephone testing system, a trunk line, a howler switch associated with said trunk line, means for extending said trunk line into connection with a subscribers line having a receiver oil the hook, a howler circuit including a source of current, a relay interrupter having contacts included in said howler circuit, means operative responsive to said last means for automatically starting and operating said switch and said relay in terrupter to interrupt said howler circuit to generate and project out over said subscribcrs line a tone oi varying intensity, and means for automatically stopping said switch and for automatically disconnecting the tonefrom said trunk line responsive to the restoration of the receiver to the hook.

13. In a telephone testing system, a trunk line, a howler switch associated with said trunk line, means for extending said trunk line intoconnection with a subscribers line having a receiver of! the hook, a howler circuit including a source of current, a relay interrupter having contacts included in said howler circuit, means operative responsive tov saidlast means for automatically starting and operating said switch and sald relay interrupter to interrupt said howler circuit to generate and project out over said subscribefis line a tone of varying intensity, means for automatically stopping said switch and for automatically disconnecting the tone from said trunk responsive to the restoration of the receiver to the hook, and

means for preventing reapplication of the tone ii the receiver is again removed.

14-. In a telephone testing system, a trunk line, a howler circuit, means for extending said trunk line into connection-with a subscribers line having a receiver oil the switch hook, means for connecting said howler circuit to said trunk line, a relay automatically operated over the subscribers line responsive to said. last connection, and means including contacts on said relay through which a tone of varying intensity is projected out over said subscriber: line.

15. In a telephone testing system, a trunk line, a howler circuit, means for extending said trunk line into connection with a subscribers line having a receiver oil the switch hook, means for connecting said howler circuit to said trunk line, a relay autoi natically operated over the subscribers line responsive to said last connection, means including contacts on said relay through which a tone oi varying intensity is projected out over said subscribers 11119,"?1 second relay and means for" 1.6. In a telephone testing system, a trunk line, a graduated howler circuit including an automatic step by step switch associated with said trunk line, means for extending said trunk line into connection with a subscribers line having a receiver off the hook, a relay and a battery connected. in bridge oil said trunk line responsive to said last connection, said relay being operated responsive to said last connection, contacts on said relay through which the motor magnet of said switch is controlled, and means including other cont-acts on said relay through which a tone of varying intensity is projected out over said subscribers line,

17. In a telephone testing system, a trunk line, a graduated howler circuit including an automatic step by step switch associated with said trunk line, means for extending said trunk line into connection with a subscribers line havinga receiver otl' the hook, a' relay and a battery connected in bridge of said trunk line responsive to said last connection, said relay being operated responsive to said last connection, contacts on said relay through which the motor magnet of said switch is controlled, means including other contacts on said relay through which a tone of varying intensity is projected out over said subscribers line, a relay interrupter automatically operated responsive to the operation of said first relay, and vcontacts on said relay interrupter for intermittently interrupting said tone circuit.

18. In a telephone testing system, a trunk line, a graduated howler circuit including an automatic step by step switch, said switch having only two wipers, means for extending said trunk line into connection with a subscribers line having a receiver off the hook, means operative responsive to said last means for automatically starting and operating said wipers step by step until the re ceiver is replaced, circuit arrangements in eludingv one of said Wipers for generating and projecting out over said subscribers linea tone of varying intensity, and means including the other of said Wipers for continuing the step by step operation of said Wipers to normal position after the receiver is replaced.

19. In a telephone testing system, a repeat-ing coil having a primary and a secondary Winding, a trunk line terminating in said secondary Winding, a hoWler circuit including a source of current, said primary winding, and a variable resistance, means for connecting said trunk line with a subscribers line having a receiver off the hook, a relay automatically operated over the subscribers line responsive to said connection, and means controlled by said relay for intermittently interrupting said hoWler circuit thereby producing a variable tone which is induced in said secondary Winding and projected out over said subscribers line.

20. In a telephone testing system, a repeating coil having a primary and a secondary Winding, a trunk line terminating in said secondary Winding, a relay and a battery connected in series With said trunk line, a howler circuit including a source of current, said primary Winding, and a variable resistance, a relay interrupter having contacts in said hoWler circuit, means for conmeeting said trunk line with a subscribers line having a receiver off the hook, said first relay operated responsive to said connection for closing said hoWler circuit, and contacts on said first relay for operating said interrupter relay to intermittently interrupt said howler circuit thereby producing a varia tone which is induced in said secondary Winding and projected out over said subscribers line.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 28th day of September, A. D.,

THOMAS F. CROCKER.

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